Two real‐estate contractors compete for a construction contract by outbidding each other. During construction foundations suddenly give way and the building collapses, bringing down with it part of the structure next door. 

Sounds familiar? That is because it is a scenario from a new boardgame about the construction boom in Malta. 

Comparison of reality with the reconstruction in tile form of the game.

The satirical two-player tile-laying game was made at the university’s Institute of Digital Games by Professor Stefano Gualeni and research assistant Jasper Schellekens, following a spate of construction incidents in 2019.

Construction Boom was specifically designed to “mock the unrestrained, cut-throat real estate development business”.  It is meant to criticise what the authors perceive to be the “absurd nonchalance of the general population in the face of the unrestrained real estate development”. 

Its launch now is coincidental and has nothing to do with COVID-19, however, it sure could lift the spirits of those locked up indoors. It was meant to be launched at the International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games in Malta, a conference that was forced into a virtual format by the virus outbreak. 

For now, the strategic game is of the print-and-play kind. The designers hope it will engage the players in social criticism and raise awareness about the construction boom, Schellekens told Times of Malta. 

“We hope it will change mindsets. Satire has sometimes impacted current affairs and brought about change, piling pressure on the establishment” he added.  

Schellekens referred to the research that went into the development of the game, quoting American newspaper columnist Molly Ivins who said that "satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful".

According to Gualeni and Schellekens, the “state of the construction industry in Malta caused us to experience a sense of political powerlessness as citizens lacking tangible influence on the decision-making process”. This situation ultimately fuelled the frustration that gave birth to Construction Boom.

In the game, which might be commercially launched in the future, the ‘defender’ prevents the ‘contractor’ from fulfilling their commitment, incurring penalties.

Construction Boom game

The score also depends on the material used in the construction, which varies between old, modern, or cheap. As in real life, for this boardgame, the modern and cheap material can protrude at weird angles from the side of buildings. 

Design, writing, and art direction were carried out by Gualeni, while Schellekens took care of playtesting, additional design and videos. Rebecca Portelli designed the game art and logo.

Learn more about the game and download it here.